Starlight
by Nadeshiko-Nara
Summary: Itachi. He's my reason. He's the starlight that keeps me going at night." Song fic to Starlight by Muse. Slight SasuSaku. Team 7 tribute-type fic. Slight Shippuden Spoilers. Takes place when Team Kakashi meets Sasuke in Orochimaru's layer. T for safety.


**A/N: I'm not one for song fics but I'm in love with song and this idea hit me like a ton of bricks. I tried to mix up the meanings of each verse because its so repetitive, so it took a while to write. I'm content with it though and I have a new found respect for song fic authors; it's much harder than it looks! Anyway, this takes place right at the part where they see Sasuke after two and a half years in Orochimaru's layer. Tell me how I did!**

**Disclaimer: Muse owns Starlight and Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto and all other characters.**

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura says quietly, almost to herself, as I look down on her.

I used to think of her a lot, when I was away, but those thoughts dissapeared after a while.

The dobe runs into the large crater.

He stares at me for a few moments but all I can do is look at Sakura. She's just as I remembered her.

"Sasuke." Naruto spits.

"Naruto." I say back, with the same amount of venom.

"Then why?" Naruto asks. I don't know what he's talking about so I glance at him and then go back to looking at Sakura.

"If so, then why…," Naruto starts again, "why didn't you kill me if that's your way of breaking bonds? Sasuke!"

"The reason is simple," I lie or maybe I'm not lying, I don't know anymore, "It's not that I didn't cut those bonds, I just didn't want to give him the pleasure of seeing me obtain power by following his ways.

"I merely spared your life on a whim," I say calmly even though I didn't save it on a whim. Or did I?

I can see the fury in his eyes as I look down on him like he's nothing.

I jump down, quickly. It's a feat that, just 2 years ago, I thought was difficult. But now, it's second nature. I hear Sakura say something in surprise but I tune it out. I talk with Naruto for a few minutes and pull out my Kusangi. After that everything is an angry blur until I realize I'm running with Orochimaru and Kabuto.

"Sasuke-kun, you're not hasty enough. I thought I told you to kill any of your former teammates at first sight."

I open my mouth to say something but stop.

He's the one who's made me like this.

He's the one who's taken me…

_Far away  
This ship has taken me far away  
Far away from the memories  
Of the people who care if I live or die  
_

"Sasuke-kun? Aren't you listening to me?" Orochimaru asks.

I blatantly ignore him and start to think to myself.

Why'd I become such a monster?

What was my motivation?

Itachi.

He's my reason.

He's the starlight that keeps me going at night, the thing I follow and hate.

But I don't know if I like that path anymore.

_  
Starlight  
I will be chasing a starlight  
Until the end of my life  
I don't know if it's worth it anymore_

I bet Naruto hates me.

We used to be like brothers.

Well, not like Uchiha brothers, but like normal, non-Shinobi brothers.

And Sakura, she could've been my whole life.

She's perfect.

I remember what she used to say to me, day after day, mission after mission, "I love you, Sasuke-kun!"

Those were just meaningless words, back then, and she would just throw them around like nothing.

But, that night when I left, they meant something.

And that look in her eyes today, that meant something, too.

_  
Hold you in my arms  
I just wanted to hold  
You in my arms  
_

That night I left was momentous to her, and to me, too, now.

She promised me so much.

She said she'll help me with my path.

In those words, she pledged her life to me.

She'd do whatever it took to keep us together.

She'd probrably even kill _him_ if I asked her to.

_My life  
You electrify my life  
Lets conspire to ignite  
All the souls that would die just to feel alive_

"Sasuke-kun, you're being quite rebellious today. I guess I'll just have to beat

that behavior out of you." Orochimaru says in his high, piercing voice.

I stop and look at him with just as hatred as I give Itachi.

I unwind the bandages on my forearms.

I'll kill him for what he's done to me.

I'll make sure the earth won't be plagued by his spirit ever again.

He's been trying to take away my memories, my friends, for the past two and a half years.

I'll behead him right now and I'll never have to forget about them again.

I'll never let you go  
If you promise not to fade away  
Never fade away 

"Sasuke-kun, you better not put up a fight. Kabuto will tell you all about how

fighting against me is only good when it's sparring or training. Eh, Kabuto?" Orochimaru says as he waves his hand at Kabuto to back off.

"You and I, we aren't so different. Or maybe, it's our ambitions that are alike." I

say as I press my middle and ring fingers against my wrists.

"You are right, Sasuke-kun. We both have dark hopes for the future. Our expectations for life are different than most people. But we aren't most people, are we Sasuke-kun?" Orochimaru says.

He pauses and summons his Kusangi.

_Our hopes and expectations  
Black holes and revelations _

Our hopes and expectations  
Black holes and revelations  


Orochimaru lunges at me.

I feint to the side and grab his hair. He whirls around and tries to stab me in the side.

"What are you thinking about Sasuke-kun? Your movements are different today." Orochimaru says as I let go of him and charge my hand up with Chidori.

"I'm thinking about how I'm going to kill you." I say as I run at him.

He dodges and holds my arm behind my back.

"I wonder what's brought this change to you so quickly." He says as he twists my arm.

I feel it pop and I kick him in the stomach. He lets go for a moment and I hop away. My arm is definitely dislocated.

"Seeing what you've turned me into. That's what's brought this change so quickly. I saw myself for what I am for the first time in two and a half years. You've turned me into a monster that will kill his best friends!" I yell as I hop towards him. He punches me in the face.

"I told you not to fight me Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru mocks as he runs at me. I flip over his head and throw some Shuriken at his back. I hit him on my mark and he stops. Suddenly, he keels over and sounds like he's puking. A few moments later, Orochimaru is standing there covered in slim.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun. You're no match." He says as runs at me. We switch to Tai-Jutsu and

I let my mind wander. He finds a hole in my defenses and punches me. I fly back and

lay immobilized on the ground.

"Dammit." I mutter.

"No need for such anger, Sasuke-kun." He says in that tone of voice I hate so much.

"Kabuto, grab him. We'll move into hiding for the next few days because those Konoha brats are on our tails." Orochimaru says as he dusts himself off like that was a walk in the park.

"Hold still Sasuke. Remember, I'm here for your well-being." Kabuto says. He has a smirk on his face that says otherwise, though.

His hands quickly skim over my body with healing Chakra. He relocates my arm and 'Heh's in surprise at my broken ribs.

I wish it was Sakura that's healing me right now. She'd heal me tenderly and efficiently, caring whether I feel pain.

I miss Sakura.

If only Sakura was here now.

_  
Hold you in my arms  
I just wanted to hold  
You in my arms  
_

"Come on, Kabuto. We don't have all day to make it to the hideout. We're going to the one on the far side of Iwa. That way it'll take them a long time to send reinforcements." Orochimaru says as Kabuto throws me over his shoulder roughly. I fell my breath _whoosh_ out of me.

"Yes. It'll be a lot better if those losers don't find Sasuke." Kabuto says as we take off toward an isolated base, far away from Konoha, the land that has all my friends and my good memories.

_  
Far away  
The ship has taken me far away  
Far away from the memories  
Of the people who care if I live or die  
_

The scenery rushes past me in a blur, much like my time spent with Sakura and Naruto.

I feel really bad about what I said to Naruto.

"Wasn't it your dream to become Hokage? Well, why waste your time trying to make me come back?"

I wish he'd keep trying to bring me back, because, next time, I'll come with him.

If he never lets either of his dreams go, Sakura, Naruto, and I can all live in Konoha as best friends and Team 7.

Naruto better not loose his dreams, because he's my last hope.

_  
And I'll never let you go  
If you promise not to fade away  
Never fade away_

Itachi.

He's driven me to madness.

He's the all consuming black hole that takes all of my time, hatred, and effort.

I can only imagine his hopes and dreams for the future, but one thing is for sure: they are dark and evil.

I hate him. I hate him more than ever, now.

Our hopes and expectations  
Black holes and revelations, yeah  
Our hopes and expectations  
Black holes and revelations 

The only thing I want more than anything, more than Sakura's affection or Naruto's friendship, is to have Itachi lie dead in my arms.

I want to carry his bloodied and battered corpse back to Konoha as a trophy of my efforts.

That's what I want most.

That's what I need most, to have him look at me with as much hate and revulsion, as much as I give to him, and end his life.

I need to have his blood stain my hands and his last memories of life to be me telling him about how much I used to look up to him as he tries to squirm out of the deathgrip of my arms.

Hold you in my arms  
I just wanted to hold  
You in my arms  
I just wanted to hold 

"Lord Orochimaru, he's muttering. May I knock him out?" Kabuto asks with perverse happiness.

"Of course, Kabuto. He'll alert people of our presence like that." Orochimaru says as Kabuto quickly hits me in the base of the neck.

**A/N: Okay, give me a nerdy moment: I'm nicknaming this fic the War of 1812 because nothing was gained and nothing was lost. Sorry! I'm a nerd and this popped into my head when I was discussing why I was writing this fic and what happened to one of my best friends. Tell me what you thought of it!**


End file.
